I'm joining Beverly A Baird, Linda Schueler and others in a "year long poetry practice – on the first Friday of each Month," when they, and anyone else who joins, will be writing a poem based on the theme of the month and a photo taken relating to that theme.
You can find out more about this here.
June was cooler than usual. I longed for the heat, even though I know that when it comes I will moan about that. Today's poem is a reminiscence on the hot, dry, summers of my youth. In the Southern Okanagan Valley here in BC, we live in a semi desert. In summer especially, rain is a rare and special treat!
Hot
humid afternoons
of my youth,
hanging out with cousins
at granny’s house
waiting,
watching
hanging out with cousins
at granny’s house
waiting,
watching
dark clouds
congregate on the horizon
congregate on the horizon
the sky above us
looming,
ominous,
thrilling,
a portent of
looming,
ominous,
thrilling,
a portent of
thunder,
lightning,
and rain,
lightning,
and rain,
rain for dancing in
The first time I participated, I didn't get the photograph first bit. I let the theme percolate throughout the month before posting and the poem more or less wrote itself. When I realized my mistake, I sent a half decent draft of it to my partner, Randy Rotheisler, and a friend, Ron Peace, both gifted photographers, asking for images to accompany it. We have continued this process.
Both have brilliantly captured the nostalgia of times gone by in today's poem.
In case you are interested, both these photographs can be purchased from the photographers. Let me know if you want their contact information.
I could visualize that looming storm. We've been lucky here so far - not the huge damage of some places. Thanks for participating. Poem and photos perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bev. I can manage writing one poem a month!
DeleteGlad to find out about this monthly meme. I might join in next month. We have rain forecast today and it's hot and humid.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I don't live in where there is humidity. I hope you join us! writing one poem a month is very doable.
DeleteThis reminds me of the days of my youth except with my siblings and the neighbourhood kids, although we had more rain. I had no idea there was semi desert in BC. Great poem. Thanks for joining in!
ReplyDeleteOur annual rainfall is 14.5 centimetres, so it is pretty dry. There is also very small patch called 'The Pocket Desert' but it has been disappearing due to development.
DeleteDeveloping on a desert is actually quite concerning. I hope that they take the conditions into consideration when they are landscaping instead of trying to force unnatural conditions, such as lawn.
DeleteThey have kept the original landscape for the most part, but it was only a pocket to start with, so losing any of it makes it more difficult for creature in the biome to survive.
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